Ashley Crouch is a Visibility Strategist who lands her clients in the most coveted outlets in the country.

Ashley created the premier "one for one" publicity agency that specializes in entrepreneurs in the "live your best life" space. For every client served, Appleseed offers micro-loans to women in resource-poor nations to grow their businesses. Clients include best-selling authors, social good platforms, CEOs of multimillion dollar companies, TEDx speakers, social innovators, and more. Appleseed has gotten clients featured on hundreds of outlets, including New York Post, Entrepreneur, FOX Business, MSNBC, CNBC, Huffington Post Live, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc, TIME, New York Post, SUCCESS, Business Insider, and more. She has secured partnerships with the United Nations, SELF Magazine, Maria Shriver and more. Her Publicity Accelerator, Master the Media, offers high value publicity training for promising entrepreneurs. Ashley was a nominee for the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

HOW WE WORK

What is Appleseed’s PR specialty?

Appleseed is designed to be the go-to PR firm for female entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We work with the producers who are crafting a better tomorrow through their businesses. We have extensive established relationships in the business, entrepreneurship, leadership, fashion, bridal, social good, and lifestyle media space. We have nurtured a tribe of journalists, event producers, graphic designers, publicists, media trainers, ghost writers, brands, and reporters around the nation who are passionate about helping boss babes reach the customers and clients who need them the most.

When you hire Appleseed, what value are you getting?

When you partner with Appleseed, you join a tribe of supportive experts dedicated to helping you grow. We’re a collective of professionals who have decades of combined experience in the media, event, design, branding, and journalism space. We are at your service to help you amplify your message in the world.

While media stories or immediate sales are never guaranteed, we have a great track record (check out the outlets where our clients have been seen!). We weave a web of support for you, setting up meetings, interviews, calls, features, training sessions, and partnerships to bring your work to the people who want it most.

How does Appleseed differ from other agencies?

As senior editor at Inc Magazine, Norm Brodsky, once said, “If you’re hiring someone to get you press and build your business, you’re making the wrong decision. If you’re hiring someone to train you in how to build your business, you’re making the right decision.”

At Appleseed is a premier PR firm for female entrepreneurs. You’re not a number; to us, you're a VIP. We’re your expert partners. We get in the trenches with our clients, roll up our sleeves, and get to work. Because of our background in the entrepreneur space (both working with clients and our personal experience), we understand your needs holistically and craft campaigns accordingly. If you want to hire an agency to just get results and never talk to you, Appleseed is not for you. If you want an agency that will deliver weekly reports, calls, and ongoing updates, or live in-person training sessions, we are your go to.

If you are looking for an agency that crafted press releases and blasts them across newswires or to a mass list, we are not for you. We do not send mass mailings to journalists. Each pitch is individualized, thoughtful, and carefully crafted to the reporter. Normally, we ask to get lunch. It is a slower, more thoughtful process, with higher impact and higher quality results.

Here are some examples of what we might offer: We train you in how to identify your target audience, craft a campaign, develop your core talking points, give you media training, teach you want to wear, say, think, and do to get noticed. We give you resources - whether that’s a packaged customer avatar, media plan, or pitch letter - that you can use long after we’re gone.

…..And while we’re at it, we also pitch, plan, follow-up, set meetings, and kick ass on your behalf. Press features likely to follow.

How do you find the right PR company that specializes in your line of work?

Prior to hiring a PR company, examine a list of previous or current clients. See if they have a list of testimonies that outline the concrete results they achieved. Ask for case studies in client work similar to your needs. Try to determine if they have media relationships in the space you most want to grow.

What’s the difference between Public Relations (PR) and Marketing? (definition)

Your goal is to build lasting relationships with your target audience, so which type of agency should you engage - Marketing or Public Relations? The line between Marketing and PR is increasingly blurred. However, here’s the biggest difference: Marketing typically pays for media (paid ads, creating social media content and boosting it, SEO keyword payment, email marketing, newsletter optimization, etc.), and Public Relations typically earns media (press features, social media features/shares, interviews/highlights, etc.). Both agency types use strategy, but Marketing strategy often focuses on your bottom line, while PR focuses on your goals and objectives through storytelling. Ask yourself what attracts you more as a consumer - an ad or a story? If it’s a story, then a Public Relations agency is likely the best fit for you.

How to get the most from your PR experience:

To set yourself up for success, we recommend that clients think strategically about the role they want PR to play in their business. Appleseed has a questionnaire to help you get your wheels turning. Contact us today to get our free questionnaire.